Railway truck structure



y 1959 J. c. TRAVILLAQ 2,887,186

RAILWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE I Original Filed April 30, 1951 i 2 Sheets-Sheet1 J. C. TRAVILLA RAILWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE Original Filed April 30, 1951May 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RA1LWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE James C. Travilla,Ladne, Mo., assignor to General Steel Castings Corporation, GraniteCity, 111., a corporation of Delaware Original application April 30,1951, Serial No. 223,729,

now Patent No. 2,811,114, dated October 29, 1957.

' Divided and this application October 19, 1956,.Serial 4 Claims. (Cl.188-53) The invention relates to railway rolling stock and moreparticularly to raliway motor truck structure and consists in a novelconstruction of a truck frame and a bollslter and brake operatingmechanism associated there- W1 This application is a division of anapplication filed April 30, 1951, Serial No. 223,729, now Patent No.2,811,114.

The main object of the invention is to produce a simple, light weight,strong motor truck having good riding qualities and easy maintenance.

Another object is to position the brake operating mechanism on the sidesof the truck to minimize the spacing of the wheeled axles and tofacilitate access to the brake mechanism.

Another object is to simplify the brake operating mechamsm.

These and other detail objects, as will appear from the followingdescription, are attained by the structure shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a top view of a four wheel motor truck, a portion beingsectioned horizontally on the line 1--1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the truck.

Figures 3 and 4 are vertical, transverse sections taken on thecorresponding section lines of Figure l.

The truck wheels, indicated at 1, are fixed on axles 2 terminating withthe wheels and are provided with journals inwardly of the wheels whichseat the journal boxes 3. Each box mounts one or more coil springs 4.The truck frame is a rigid structure, preferably a casting, and includestop side members 5, pedestal legs 6 depending therefrom, adjacent legsreceiving journal boxes 3 between them, bottom members 7 spacedvertically from top members 5, and transverse transoms 8.

Columns 9 extend between frame members and 7 and, with the latter, formdeep windows for receiving helical springs 10 having seats S mounted onpads P of rubber-like material carried by elements on the frame lowermembers 7. The windows also receive the ends of a transverse bolster 11mounted on springs 10 and provided with a load-carrying center plate 12.The bolster terminates adjacent the outer faces of the frame sidemembers and inwardly from the wheel treads. The bolster ends arerelatively shallow and the load-supporting middle portion is relativelydeep. The bolster is positioned longitudinally of the truck by compositecushion and liner devices, each comprising a plate 9a secured to thecolumn, a pad 9b of rubber-like material bonded to the plate, a wearplate 90 bonded to the other side of pad 9b, and a wear plate 11asecured to the bolster (Figure 1).

Members 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are of box section for greater rigidity andtheir walls merge with each other. Riveting and welding aresubstantially eliminated and each portion of each section may beeffectively dimensioned to meet its special strength requirement.

Each transom 8 is recessed upwardly at 13 (Figure 4) to receive abearing block 14 for a motor 15 which is suspended from the transom bybolts 16 and a lower bearing 17. Each motor 15 is .operatively connectedto the more remote axle 2 by a drive shaft 19 with suitable universaljoint connections to the motor and a reduction gear 18. Each drive shaftextends under the bolster and under the transom remote from its motor.

At each side of the truck, the frame carries brake gear brackets 20 atopposite sides of the bolster window and having slack adjuster housings.21 mounted thereon;

Pivoted to housings 21 by eccentrics 22, adjustably operated by theslack adjuster actuating device, are a pair of hell cranks 23, 24. Theshort arm of each bell crank is pivoted at its upper end to the sideframe and below its pivot mounts an individual brake head 25 and shoe 26for application to the adjacent wheel. The long arm of each bell crankextends lengthwise of the side frame below the level of the brake headmounting and is con nected by an individual rod 27 to a piston in abrake cylinder 28, mounted on bracket 20 at the opposite side of thebolster window. Upon admission of air to cylinders 28, the pistons androds 27 are forced downwardly, tilting the crank arms about their pivots22 and thrusting the brake shoes against the wheels. With this at"rangement, the entire brake rigging is positioned between and in linewith the wheels.

The mounting of the journal boxes on inside journals avoids thenecessity for longitudinally extending equalizers because the load isapplied to the axles between the wheels, whereby the axles act asequalizers extending transversely of the truck, and the comparativelyshort spacing apart of the journal boxes on each axle avoids severediagonal loading of the trusk frame, as would be present with outsidejournals.

Without the usual equalizers, the pedestals can be made as wide andstrong as may be desired to adequately resist lateral forces and thepedestals do not require removable blocks, as may be necessary ifequalizers were to be assembled with the pedestals.

The side frames are of truss formation and the axes of the bolstersprings are in the same general longitudinal planes as the frame sidemembers, and this provides for a lighter frame than one in which thebolster is sup ported by the frame transoms as in the usual arrangementof motor trucks. This positioning of the bolster springs leaves ampleroom at the side of the frame for mounting brake gear units in line withthe wheels, as described above.

The entire structure is compact and of light weight as compared with theusual motor truck with outside journal bearings and longitudinalequalizers.

The details of this structure may be varied substantially withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use ofthose modifications coming within the scope of the claims iscontemplated.

What is claimed is:

l. A railway truck frame and brake operating gear assembly comprising atruck frame side member, a pair of fluid pressure cylinders, withpistons, having their axes upright, spaced apart longitudinally of andmounted on the outer side of the side frame, a bell crank-like brakelever actuated by each cylinder and piston and comprising an uprightarm, pivoted at its upper end to the side frame between the othercylinder and the end of the side frame member remote from thelever-actuating cylinder, and a horizontal arm extending lengthwise ofthe side frame member beneath both cylinders, said horizontal arms beingalongside each other, and an individual brake head on each lever belowits pivot and facing toward the end of the side frame member nearest tothe brake head.

Patented May 19, 1959 hand brake heads are mounted at window. V

4. A railway truck frame and brake operating gear assembly accordingtoclaimfil in which the truck frame side member has a window forabolster and bolster springs and has spring seat support elements at thebottom of said window, and the horizontal arms of the bell cranks arepositioned outboard of said support ele- 5 merits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS647,779 Whomes Apr. 17, 1900 660,647 Normand; Oct. 30, 1900 1,640,180Buckwalter Aug. 23, 1927 1,765,432 Lamont June 24, 19.30 1,916,469Fagedl et a1. July 4,-- 1933 2,398,394 Piron Apr. 16,

